Shetland is a British crime drama television series produced by ITV Studios for BBC Scotland. First broadcast on BBC One on 10 March 2013, it is originally based upon the novels of Ann Cleeves and adapted by David Kane. Douglas Henshall starred as DI Jimmy Pérez in the first seven series, while Ashley Jensen portrayed DI Ruth Calder from the eighth series.
Henshall won the 2016 BAFTA Scotland award for Best Actor and the series received the award for Best TV Drama.
The stories take place largely on the eponymous archipelago, although some of the filming takes place on the Scottish mainland. Most, but not all, exterior location filming takes place in Shetland. Interiors may be filmed in either Shetland or in west central Scotland.
On 20 July 2022, ahead of the show’s seventh series, Henshall's departure was announced with Jensen revealed as his replacement. A ninth and tenth series were commissioned in March 2024. It will be followed by an eleventh series which will be the final to star Alison O'Donnell, who announced her departure on 12 June 2026.
Production The first series consists of two episodes, a single two-part story based on the novel Red Bones by Ann Cleeves. This series was broadcast across two nights on 10 and 11 March 2013 and was produced by Sue de Beauvoir. Subsequently, a second series was commissioned by the BBC. Series two was extended to contain six episodes. These were filmed in 2013 and screened in 2014. This series, produced by Peter Gallagher, features three two-part stories based on the novels Raven Black, Dead Water, and Blue Lightning.
Filming began in April 2015 for a third series, which began screening in January 2016. This series saw a change in format, with all six episodes covering a single story written exclusively for television. This was the first series not to adapt any of Cleeves' novels. Ciarán Hinds and Anna Chancellor were among the new cast members for this series. A fourth series was announced by the BBC in July 2016. Again, this series is a single story played out across six episodes and written exclusively for television. Stephen Walters and Neve McIntosh were among the new cast members announced for the series. It was broadcast on BBC One beginning on 13 February 2018. Series 5 was broadcast from 12 February 2019.
During filming, the cast and crew are usually based in Glasgow and other areas of mainland Scotland. Filming often takes place in areas with landscape or buildings reminiscent of those in the Shetland Islands, such as Kilbarchan in Renfrewshire, Barrhead, where Henshall was born and grew up, Ayr and Irvine, North Ayrshire. "My character’s house is actually in Kilbarchan, the interior of a couple of crofts are here [in Irvine, Ayrshire] and the police station is in Barrhead," Henshall said in a 2019 interview.
Filming locations on or near Shetland have included Lerwick, the NorthLink ferry, and the village of Wester Quarff, south of Lerwick. Some filming was on Fair Isle for series 2, and the Hillswick wildlife sanctuary featured in series 4.
Shortly before series 7 premiered, Henshall announced that the series would be his last. It was then announced that he would be replaced in the leading role by Ashley Jensen from the eighth series. Filming for series 9 started in Shetland in April 2024, and was broadcast from 6 November to 11 December 2024.
Cast Main cast
Douglas Henshall as DI Jimmy Perez (series 1–7) Alison O'Donnell as DS (later DI) Alison "Tosh" McIntosh (series 1–present) Steven Robertson as DC Sandy Wilson (series 1–present) Lewis Howden as Billy McCabe, police sergeant (series 1, 3–present) Erin Armstrong as Cassie Perez (series 1–7) Mark Bonnar as Duncan Hunter (series 1–7) Anne Kidd as Cora McLean, forensic pathologist (series 5–present; recurring series 2–4) Julie Graham as Rhona Kelly, procurator fiscal (series 2–5, 7) Ashley Jensen as DI Ruth Calder (series 8–present) Angus Miller as Donnie Russell (series 9; recurring series 5–8; guest series 10) Steven Miller as Reverend Alan Calder (series 9–present; recurring series 8)
Recurring cast Stewart Porter as Billy McBride, police sergeant (series 2) Fiona Bell as Donna Killick (series 4, 6) Neve McIntosh as Kate Kilmuir (series 4, 6) Julia Brown as Molly Kilmuir (series 4, 6) Jimmy Chisholm as Alec MacBay (series 4, 6) Conor McCarry as PC Alex Grant (series 5– present) Anneika Rose as Maggie Kean, procurator fiscal (series 6–7) Lucianne McEvoy as Meg Pattison (series 6–7) Eubha Akilade as PC Lorna Burns (series 7– present) Tibu Fortes as Harry Lamont, procurator fiscal (series 8–9) Kevan MacKenzie as James Innes (series 8, 10) Samuel Anderson as Matt Blake, procurator fiscal (series 10–present)
Guest cast Series 1 Red Bones Sandra Voe as Mima Wilson Claire Rafferty as Anna Haldane Jim Sturgeon as Ronald Haldane Gemma Chan as Hattie James Lindy Whiteford as Jackie Haldane James Greene as Andrew Haldane Alexander Morton as Joseph Wilson
Series 2 Raven Black Rebecca Benson as Sally Henry Brian Cox as Magnus Bain Dead Water Nina Sosanya as Willow Reeves Alex Norton as Cameron Watt David Hayman as Joe Dalhousie Blue Lightning John Lynch as Frank Blake Bill Paterson as James Perez
Series 3 Ciarán Hinds as Michael Maguire Saskia Reeves as Freya Galdie Archie Panjabi as DS Asha Israni Anna Chancellor as Phyllis Brenan James Cosmo as Arthur MacCall
Series 4 Stephen Walters as Thomas Malone Sean McGinley as Drew McColl Eleanor Matsuura as DI Jessie Cole
Series 5 Rakie Ayola as Olivia Lennox Derek Riddell as Chris Brooks Catherine Walker as Alice Brooks Titana Muthui as Zezi Ugara Kate Dickie as Sam Boyd
Series 6 Cora Bissett as Eve Galbraith Stephen McCole as Logan Creggan
Series 7 Shauna Macdonald as Rachel Cairns Andrew Whipp as Danny Cairns Patrick Robinson as Lloyd Anderson Laurie Brett as Alison Woods Stuart McQuarrie as Murry Rankin
Series 8 Phyllis Logan as Grace Bain Dawn Steele as Stella Quinn Barry O'Connor as Kieran Quinn Don Gilét as John Howell Jamie Sives as Cal Innes Ann Louise Ross as Agnes Moffat Russ Bain as Bobby Bain Manjinder Virk as Farida Sadat Nina Toussaint-White as Amma Calder
Series 9 Stuart Campbell as Malcolm Kidd Sarah MacGillivray as Annie Bett Jacob Ferguson as Noah Bett Robert Jack as Ian Bett Lesley Hart as Noreen Stack Andrew John Tait as Michael Stack Vincent Regan as John Harris Ross Anderson as Patrick Harris Macleod Stephen as Fergus Harris Ian Hart as Euan Rossi Tara Lee as Lisa Friel Johannes Lassen as Stefan Jakobson Nathalie Merchant as Karin Jakobson Ines Asserson as Astrid Jakobson Jimmy Yuill as Angus Wallace
Series 10 Greg McHugh as Colin Waite Stuart Townsend as Ed Tulloch Clive Russell as Arthur Mair Ellie Haddington as Lana Mair Louise Brealey as Isobel Jameson Niall MacGregor as Tom Jameson Chloe-Ann Tylor as Stevie Shannon
Episodes Overview
Series 1 (2013) The series introduces Douglas Henshall as DI Jimmy Perez and Alison O'Donnell as DS Alison 'Tosh' McIntosh. It is based on the third novel Red Bones by Ann Cleeves.
Series 2 (2014) The series is based on Raven Black, Dead Water and Blue Lightning, the first, fourth and fifth novel by Ann Cleeves.
Series 3 (2016) This series is the first written as a six-part story and not based on an Ann Cleeves novel.
Series 4 (2018)
Series 5 (2019)
Series 6 (2021)
Series 7 (2022) This is the seventh and final series to star Douglas Henshall as DI Jimmy Perez.
Series 8 (2023) This series introduces Ashley Jensen as DI Ruth Calder.
Series 9 (2024)
Series 10 (2025)
Home media
Released on DVD in Australia, Shetland, Series 1 consists of the pilot "Red Bones" and the Series 2 episodes "Raven Black", "Dead Water" and "Blue Lightning". Series 2 contains the Series 3 episodes, Series 3 contains the Series 4 episodes, and Series 4 contains the Season 5 episodes.
On Australian Region 4 DVD, The Pilot episode is stated as being Pilot and not Series 1, with the Series 2 episodes being stated as Series 1. Quote from the DVD "This DVD set includes the Pilot Red Bones and all episodes from series one Raven Black, Dead Water and Blue Lightning". However, the UK releases are Series 1 through 7 rather than Series 1 through 6 in Australia.
DVD name Region 2 (UK) Region 4 Shetland 7 May 2014 17 September 2014 Shetland: Series 2 11 May 2016 Shetland: Series 3 7 March 2016 7 August 2019Shetland: Series 1–3N/A Shetland: Series 4 26 March 2018 9 May 2018Shetland: Series 1–4N/A Shetland: Series 5 15 April 2019 6 April 2022Shetland: Series 1–5N/AShetland: Series 613 December 2021TBAShetland: Series 1–6N/AShetland: Series 719 September 2022N/AShetland: Series 1–7
Accolades Year Award Category Recipient(s) and nominee(s) Result 2013RTS Craft & Design AwardsBest Music – Original TitleJohn Lunn 2014BAFTA ScotlandBest Actor – TelevisionDouglas Henshall 2015BAFTA ScotlandBest Television DramaShetland 2016British Society of CinematographersGBTC Operators Award – Television DramaRodrigo Gutierrez 2016BAFTA Scotland Best Television Drama Shetland 2016BAFTA ScotlandBest Actor – TelevisionDouglas Henshall 2016BAFTA ScotlandBest Directing – Film/TelevisionJan Matthys 2016BAFTA ScotlandBest Writer – Film/TelevisionGaby Chiappe 2018BAFTA ScotlandBest Actor – TelevisionDouglas Henshall 2018BAFTA ScotlandBest Writer – Film/TelevisionDavid Kane 2018BAFTA ScotlandBest Television – ScriptedShetland 2022BAFTA ScotlandBest Director – FictionMax Myers 2024BAFTA ScotlandTelevision – ScriptedShetland 2025BAFTA ScotlandAudience AwardAshley Jensen
References
External links